On a sunny afternoon, we spent a quiet moment with Adesegun Adetoro at his Victoria Island residence. — Adesegun's journey intersects multiple worlds, from the precision of taxation to the creative pulse of filmmaking and a deep love for fashion and art. Here's a story of passion, professionalism, and personal expression. Enjoy!
OBIDA: Where did you grow up in Lagos?
Adesegun Adetoro: I grew up initially in Surulere with my maternal grandmother, I lived there till I was ten before moving to my Dad’s house in Obanikoro. I lived there for twenty years before moving out on my own.
Growing up in Surulere was fun and engaging. My grandmother's house was always full; siblings, cousins, family friends, etc. We would play on the streets, spend time in each other's houses - it was very communal. I think a very stimulating way to encounter the world wherein you always had people around, there were people to look up to, people that had so much impact on you because you would see how they did things, how they interacted with the world, themselves and with you as well. I always tell people that maybe one of the reasons I find myself able to interact with an eclectic range of people, is because I grew up in a home where there were different characters and you just had to learn how to interact with one another because everyone is not the same.
The sense of community in Lagos has changed. I feel the world has changed a lot since that period. Back then, what were we doing for fun? moving on the streets, playing football, Ten-Ten, and Suwe and other games. Then we got into the era where we were a little bit indoors because we were playing video games. I don’t know what era is better but it was so much fun and I enjoyed growing up in that era.
OBIDA: Can you share a cherished memory from that era—a moment that stuck with you even now.
Adesegun Adetoro: Like I mentioned, I grew up with my grandmother and I love her so much and she taught us a lot of things. But one thing that was never ending was sitting with her and she telling us stories. So back then, kids used to watch “Tales By Moonlight” on TV but we practically listened to the real life stories, not fiction; stories of her time growing up. There was always a deep lesson to each story — each story had a teaching. We would ask questions and they would really share themselves with us. I personally liked that because I think it highly influenced the way I approach the world or think. In the sense that, there’s a wisdom that comes from growing up with the elderly.
OBIDA: To you, what does it mean to be a Lagosian?
Adesegun Adetoro: The Lagos spirit is very vibrant. My mum’s family is Da-Silva they came from what you’d call the Brazilian-Quarters in Lagos Island. My Dad’s family also had a hub in Olushi Lagos Island and I remember going for the parties, the ‘EYO’ Festivals or Fanti and just generally interacting with the vibrancy of Lagos.
What does it mean to be Lagosian? I think to have a vibrant spirit, to be fashionable– Lagosians are fashionable people. Lagosians like fun and are also very entrepreneurial in spirit. Lagosians don't like to be left behind. We believe there is nothing happening in the world that can't happen in Lagos. The ‘Naija no dey carry last’ mantra, Lagosians carry it on their back. I think being a Lagosian essentially means being at the forefront of things; innovation, fashion and wanting to experience the good part of life. We are very welcoming regardless of any bad PR we get. Lagos is the city where dreams are made.
OBIDA: You have a vast background in taxation, Is there structure or creativity to tax?
Adesegun Adetoro: Hmmm… because tax is so closely linked to accounting and law, there is a lot of structure in terms of the rules, laws and regulations of doing things. However, where things can be quite uniform in accounting, tax has an added layer of difference depending on sectors of business, difference in rules/laws across different places (could be states, countries etc), or even types of taxation i.e., whether for individuals, companies, trusts etc. So tax is never a one size fits all and can be pure chaos at times! But I love it so.
OBIDA: From your experience, do you think the average Nigerian truly understands the importance of tax?
Adesegun Adetoro: I don't think so and it's not their fault. Tax is the primary resource a government uses to raise finance to run the government. It is quite unfortunate that in the past, there has not been adequate tax education or transparency as to how the government has utilized tax-payers funds effectively, so there is a broken trust there. Tax is supposed to be a social contract between a government and its people but in Nigeria, the citizens have to step in on many things you’d expect a working government to handle. Thus, it appears that many people feel betrayed and don’t feel a responsibility to be tax compliant.
OBIDA: How do you manage your corporate and creative life? How do you balance the two different worlds?
Adesegun Adetoro: To be fair, I don't. I think the illusion of balance is something we all think we can get. If you are a dreamer or someone that aspires for things, you will always struggle with balance. But what has helped me personally is understanding when one thing needs to suffer for the other and acknowledging it. Because if you don't do this, you are constantly unbalanced mentally and emotionally. But I have been fortunate to work with great people and I understand the power of collaboration. I’m not trying to be superman (even though I do a fantastic job at it).
OBIDA: With Gangs of Lagos being such a powerful film. What did it take to actualise the project and what challenges did you face in turning that vision into reality?
Adesegun Adetoro: Collaboration is what it took to bring Gangs Of Lagos to life. About six different production companies came together to collaborate on the project. We were faced with the reality of how much capital we needed to birth the project. Shoutout to Jade Osiberu for her mind, spirit and strong will. We organized a fundraising event and invited investors, and professionals to come on the journey with us. We had a presentation where we spoke about the project and the impact we thought it would have. We were all bringing ourselves, our credibility and resources together to make it work.
Collaboration can be tough because you're dealing with a lot of people but I am very glad that everything worked together so well – the timing of production which then coincided with Amazon coming into the scene and the buzz when the film dropped. I would say, what made Gangs of Lagos possible is belief, collaboration and a daring courage. We made a film that had resounding feedback from the audience – it connected with them and I’m forever grateful for that.
OBIDA: So, what then inspired you to start a talent agency, and what sets your agency apart from others in the industry?
Adesegun Adetoro: Demilade Banwo. I’ve warned him – Please sir, don’t come to me with any ideas again. I no do – (laughs). But to be honest, over the years as I interacted and consulted for actors and filmmakers, I was always asked to manage but I ran away from it. The one person who I could not say no to was Demi and I only played an informal management role for him. But then when Demi really wants to come for you, he has a way to lay down the 'why' pretty convincingly. I only had one condition, we needed someone who had more practical experience in management than the both of us to discuss our plans in more detail. What started as a discussion with Taiwo Adeyemi to hear more about his experience (Taiwo had announced that he was quitting talent management), turned into a series of meetings which resulted in the Agency being birthed by three of us. Amongst the three of us there’s more than three decades of experience in Nollywood in the creative and business sides.
OBIDA: What drew you to start collecting Art and how do you approach building your collection?
Adesegun Adetoro: To be very very honest? And I don’t think you knew this before, it was two experiences; First, as a young teenager I had two uncles that are strong art collectors in Lagos. I just remember a sense of fascination the first time I entered each of their spaces. It got me drawn to art. But then, I never really did much about the fascination. I just admired from afar. It also looked like an expensive hobby. Secondly, as an adult, I liked someone with a keen interest in art– it didn’t really go anywhere (the romantic interest), but I started to pay more attention and actually attend exhibitions. Which sort of led me to someone else immersed in the Art world. Gradually, as I interacted more, I would make purchases of pieces I felt drawn to for a reason or another e.g., because of beauty, or because I thought they were complimentary to another piece I had, or because I loved the artist and their work and wanted their piece in my space, or they felt like a good investment. I’m still very much a recent collector, and sometimes I’ve seen art that I love and cannot afford (just yet), but the plan is to constantly balance my mind and heart with collection. I want to feel a connection to the art in my space, but also want it to be beautiful, and come from artists who I think are doing amazing in their field – in craft and message.
OBIDA: What first attracted you to OBIDA as a brand?
Adesegun Adetoro: I actually found the brand at a time when I started liking and wearing more Nigerian designers. Fashion was not something I was very interested in as a youngster. Even in Covenant University (where students are very fashionable and many started fashion brands), I did not care much.
But I finished school and somewhere along the line, the way I dressed became much more important to me – It felt like an expression of who I was, who I am. During my consulting era in KPMG, I would express myself in different forms of formal wear - ties, belts, shoes, shirts, suspenders, cufflinks, etc. I just wanted to always look damn good because I felt looking good gave me the confidence to tackle the world. Most people who knew me never saw me in anything but a suit. This was my ‘corporate baddie’ era. Then afterwards I mixed it up with native wears. I never really wore casual clothes – so jeans, T-shirts, etc. are very much a recent addition to my wardrobe.
I also really like colors - green, purple, blue, pink – mix things up, but always complimentary and just a little edgy. I started finding Nigerian designers who made things that I thought spoke to how I felt. There are quite a few Nigerian designers I have acquired over the years because I find my comfort in them. I now enjoy fashion as a form of expressing how I feel. I go after things I feel comfortable in and express how I want to look. OBIDA met that for me. I wanted to feel comfortable going into my workspace feeling naturally Nigerian. The designs are interesting and intriguing – I love that whenever I wear OBIDA, I get compliments. I love the care that is also put into creating each piece. You can tell that it is a brand that not only wants to show the creativity of Nigerans, but does it in a way that people can see it and associate Nigeria with quality. OBIDA is the brand I can wear anywhere – work, hanging out with friends, going to the gallery; I can wear OBIDA every day. Out of all the Nigerian brands I wear, it is the one that is most versatile. I found a brand that has a range of products that I could use for different things – and it has colors - (laughs)
OBIDA: Fashion means different things to different people. What does it mean to you personally?
Adesegun Adetoro: I’ll answer this with a little story. There are two things that I picked up more after my mother died. Her love for being photographed and her sense of fashion. Don’t know if it’s a coping mechanism, but I would constantly tease her about these two things. Photography because I really hated being photographed as a kid but my mum had 1 million photographs, everywhere! I actually felt really sad after she passed and I wasn’t in many of the photos, as I would constantly disappear when it was time to take photos. Fashion, because as much as I teased her about it, I just loved how despite what was going on, my mother could dress up, look radiant and face the world like she was on a mission to conquer it. It made her happy to dress up and look good. And she was such a beautiful woman.
So, to me, I can say that fashion is a bridge I feel to her. I consider it an expression of oneself. I tell people that sometimes, it is not about the clothes but how you carry it. Sometimes it's not about the pieces but how you combine them. Fashion is very personal — it is more an expression of you than anything else. At the same time, fashion can be used to tell stories like film. Fashion can be used as a tool for what you want to communicate. Personally, I really love colors and I think fashion helps me with that expression. Fashion is very personal to me and you will always find me in things I love wearing, even if I’m the only one who loves them (which is never the case).
OBIDA: Thank you!
